Tastemaker: Linda Reams

The owner of Too Good To Be Threw shares her favorite things

By Sarah Schmidt

Photos By Jon Shapley

On a weekend trip to Houston, Linda Reams visited a resale shop for the first time and found herself bitten by the consignment bug. “I had my ‘ah-ha’ moment and thought, ‘What a concept,’” she says. “Buying designer clothing that looked brand new at a fraction of retail was so exciting to me, and making money on my own designer items was definitely appealing.” Reams had worked as a receptionist for 10 years but wanted a career that was more rewarding, she says, so she brought high-end consignment to San Antonio. She opened the first Too Good To Be Threw in 1979. Today she has expanded to three stores, selling women’s clothing, men’s clothing, accessories and furniture, all on consignment. Secondhand has become more than just a business for Reams—she lives it. “Everything I have is almost new,” she says. “Even my car is secondhand. I wait until someone else has paid that sticker price before I buy it. It’s fun to get a bargain.”